Door-controlled locking mechanism for vehicles



E. KELLER. I DOOR CONTROLLED [.OGKING MECHA-NlSMfOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 13, 1919. LALQKQIQL Pat ntedA11g29,11922.

2 $HEETS-SHEET I.

E, KELLER.

DOOR CONTROLLED LOCKING MECHANISM FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION men JUNE 13. 1919.

1 ,427, 2 1 2 Patented Aug. 29, 1922.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

7 v fizz 6262??" than ERNEST KELLER, O13 NOODHAVEN, NENV YORK, ASSIGNOR170 NATIONAL PNEUMATIC COMPANY, OI NE /V YORK, N. 321, A GORPOEATION OFVIEST VIRGINIA.

DOOR-CONTROLLED LOCKING Application filed. June 13,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Enxns'r KELLER, a citizen of the United States,residing at lVoodhaven, county of Queens, State of New York, have made acertain new and useful Invention in Door-Controlled Locking Mechanismfor Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to door controlled locking mechanism forvehicles.

The object of the invention is to provide a locking mechanism which issimple in construction, etlicient in operation for preventing a vehiclesuch as a car, bus, or the like, from being started until all the doorsor exits are closed.

A. further object of the invention is to provide means of the characterreferred to for locking the car controller in its otl position when adoor or exit on the car is open and maintaining the controller looked aslong as the door or exit remains open, thereby preventing injury oraccident to passengers due to premature starting of the car.

A further object of the invention is to provide a door controlledlocking mechanism of the character referred to in which powerconsumption in the control circuits continues only so long as one ormore of the doors of a car or train of cars remains open, and is cut offduring the time the motor circuit is in operation.

Other objects of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter.

The invention consists substantially in the construction, combination,location, and relative arrangement of parts, all as will be more fullyhereinafter set torth, as shown in the accompanying drawing, and finallypointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing Fig. l is a view in elevation, and partlydiagrammatic, showing a door controller lock mechanism embodying theprinciples of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a View in section on the line 2. 2, Fig. 1, looking in thedirection of the arrows.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing a modified locking structureembodying the principles of my invention.

In the practical and safe operation of elevated and subway trains,surface cars, buses, and other passenger vehicles, and in rd r to avoiddanger of accident to board- .Spccification of Letters latent.

MECHANISM FOR VEHICLES.

Patented Aug. E9, 1922.

1919. Serial No. 304 031.

ing and alighting pasengers through the premature starting of the car ortrain, it has been found desirable to insure that all the doors on thecar or throughout the train of cars are closed before the car or trainis started. The structures and arrangements at present employed foraccomplishing this purpose are not only complicated and expensive toconstruct and install but they are also expensive to maintain in that,generally, there is a large amount of power consumption in the controlsystem due, largely, to the series circuit arrangement employed inconnection with such systems.

t is among the special purposes of my present invention to provide acontrol sys tem which is exceedingly simple in structure, capable ofbeing economically manufactured and quickly and easily applied orinstalled, and which is inexpensive to maintain, and wherein theoperating power consumption required in the system is reduced to aminimum.

In carrying out my invention in its broad scope I propose to provide alock constructed and arranged when in operative position to lock thepropelling motor or motors of the car or train against operation, and tocontrol such lock either electrically, pneumatically, electro-pneumatically or otherwise, by the opening and closing movements of the dooror doors of the car or train. In practice, and in one form of embodimentof my invention, to which, however, I do not desire to be limited orrestricted, I propose to apply the lock to the propelling motorcontroller, and so relatively position the parts that the controller islocked when in its off position, the lock becoming operative to restrainthe controller from operation from its off position only so long as anydoor or exit on the car or train remains open.

In Figs. 1 and 2 I have shown an electrically operating control systemwherein 5 designates the plate or disk carried by the shaft 6 of theusual ordinary propelling motor controller. The plate 5 is formed with asocket or seat 7 with which cooperates a dog 8 of a rock lever 9 pivotedat 10, its opposite end being suitably weighted as indicated at 11, theweight either constituting the armature of an electromagnet 12 oradapted to be attracted by the core of said magnet when said magnet isenergized, so as to carry the locking nose or dog 8 into engagement withthe seat 7 to lock the plate '5 and hence the controlleragainstoperation. When the electromagnet becomes deener izedthe weightedend of the lever 9 rocks said lever and retracts the locking dog or nose8 thereby releasing the controller and permitt ng the same to bemanipulated in its normal manner.-

The circuit of the electromagnet 12 includesswitches 13, 14, 15, 16,which I will .refer to as door switches, there being as many of suchswitches as there aredoors on the car or throughout a train of cars,saidswitchesoperating to be opened when the doors are closed, it beingunderstood, of course, that a switch is associated with each door. Inthe illustrative example shown the switches 13, 15, 16, are shown open,indicating that the doors associated therewith areclosed, while theswitch '14 is shown closed, thereby indicating that the door as notdisturbed except in case of emergency.

This affords a convenient arrangement for normally maintaining thecircuit of the lock control magnet 12 closed to ground, or re turn, atleast so far as the switch 17, 18, is concerned, it being understoodthat said switch 17, 18, is normally closed when the reversingcontroller is in its normal position,

Power for thecircuit of the lock control magnet 1.2 maybe derived fromthe overhead or underground trolley,.contact rails,

or other source, or from a storage battery.

In accordance with my invention various door control switches 13, 141-,15, 16, are

coupled up in parallel and this constitutes an important and valuablefeature of my invention, as I thereby avoid the disadvantages andobyectlons attend ng the employment of series circuits forthe controlloclr 1 2.

lteferring to. the circuitdiagram illustration of Fig. 1 the current forthe circuit control magnet 12, derived from any source as aboveindicated, is delivered through the following circuit, assuming, asshown, that the. switch 11- is closed and all of the other door switchesof; the system are open, there "by indicating. that all the doors of thecar train are. closed except the door controllingthe. contacts 14.:-.from conductor a,

- conductor through switchlle, conductor 0,

conductor 6, magnet- 12, conductor f, switch 17 (or 18), which aresupposed to be closed,

by locking the controller against operation.

'When. the door which controls switch 14: is closed said switch isopened and the above circuit is opened, the magnet 12 deenergized and.the controller lock is released, thereby permitting the normalmanipulation and operation of the controller. Suppose, however, insteadof the door which controls switch 1 1 being open, that the doorcontrolling switch 15, for example, is open, thereby closing switch'15,thereupon the circuit of magnet 12 is completed as follows: throughconductor a, conductor 9, switch 15, con ductor h, conductor 6, and onthrough the magnet 12 to ground at 19 as before. If, for example, switch13 is closed the circuit of magnet 12 will be completed as follows fromsupply conductor a, through switch 13, conductor 7', conductor h,conductor 6, and on through magnet 12 to ground at 19 as before. If thedoor switch 16 is closed then the circuit of magnet 12 is completed asfollows :-from current source, through conductor (a, conductor 6,conductor 76., switch 16, conductor Z, conductor 6, and on throughmagnet 12 to ground at 19 as before. Thus it will be seen that when anydoor of the car or throughout the train is open the circuit of magnet 12is closed and the locking device is effective to lock the controller inits oil" position. This lock is maintained as long as any door switchthroughout the system is closed, that is, so long as any door remainsopen. lVhen, however, all of the door switches are opened, that is, whenall of the doors are closed, the circuit of the magnet is opened and thelock is released.

While I have shown in Fig. 1, and have above described a particularconstruction of magnet controlledv locking device for the propellingmotor controller, it is obvious that other forms of locks may beemployed, for example, a locking dog 20 is shown in Fig. 3 which isconnected to a piston 21 operating in a cylinder 22 and normally heldraised out of engagement withthe disk 501' other part of the controllertobe locked by means of a spring 23. When a pressure medium is admittedto the cylinder 22 the piston 21 is shifted in the cylinder against theaction of spring 23 and in a direction to cause the dog 20 to engagecontroller member 5; This is the arrangement of parts shown in Fig. 3.vThe supply or eX- haust of pressure medium to and fromthe cylinder 4t iscontrolled by the valve device 24- Wl11Cl1 111.13 .1 31; is connected tothe core of solenoid, the coil of which is indicated at 25. The circuitof this coil corresponds exactly with the circuit of magnet 12 in thearrangement shown in Fig. 1. The operation is identically the same sofar as the circuit arrangement is concerned, the magnet 25 operating tocontrol the supply and exhaust of pressure medium to the lock cylinder22, thereby controlling the locking dog 20; It is obvious that otherforms of locking mechanism may be substituted for that shown in Figs. 1and 3. When a pres sure operatedloclring dog is employed the supply ofpressure medium may be obtained from the brake system or from any othersuitable or convenient source.

By including the reverse controller-switches I of the loclr should thelock at the moment of the emergency be in looking position by openingthe circuit of the loclr controlling electrical device, therebypermitting the operator or motorman to manipulate a controller inreverse operations.

A door control locking mechanism of the character above describedprevents the motorman from advancing the controller from its offposition until all the doors or exits of the car or throughout a trainof cars are closed, therefore the car is not permitted to move so longas a door remains open, thereby preventing accidents through prematurestarting of the car or train. It will also be seen that the lockingstructure is exceedingly simple. The member 5 of the controller withwhich the locking dc vice cooperatesmay be any suitable or de sired partof the controller connected to move with the controller handle orcontroller shaft and the ordinary star wheel employed in connection withcontrollers may well answer the purpose. The cost of manufacture of thelocking apparatus is therefore very small as compared with structures atpresent in use for accomplishingthe same purpose. Moreover, theconsumption of current for operating the lock device is reduced to aminimum. Current flows in the circuit of the control device only so longas a door remains open. Since for the greater part of the travel of acar or a train of cars, that is, during the time of travel betweenstations or stopping points, the doors remain closed and consequentlythere is no current consumption in the circuit of the locking device.Since the structure is exceedingly simple and only a few parts arerequired which may be of rugged structure and capable of easilywithstanding the usage to which the locking devices are subjected thecost of maintenance of the equipment is reduced to a minimum. Likewisethe cost of installation is exceedingly small. The parts of the lockingmechanism in no way interfere with the operation of the car nor of thedoor or doors. Moreover, in the ordinary series system of control forlocking devices the troubles arising from the resistance of contacts onlow voltage systems are multiplied because of the large number ofcontacts employed in the series circuit. This trouble is reduced andpractically eliminated by the system of coupling up the door switches inparallel relation to each other so-that even if all of the doors areopen and their corresponding switches are closed the resistanceotferedby one pair of contacts is not objectionable since the current path forcompleting .the circuit of the door lock magnet is completed throughsome other pair of contacts. Consequently greater reliability is securedin service. Again, with present locking systems it is the custom toprovide a switch in the propelling motor circuit which shunts the loclrcontrolling system. In this case when an open circuit in-the lock systemoccurs at the door switches in the contactor, slip rings, or otherportions of the present devices, the danger is incurred of a prematurestarting of the car or train with a door remaining open, current supplyto the motor being obtained through the shunt circuit. Such apossibility is eliminated in the system above described because it isunnecessary to employ such a shunt switch.

Having now set forth the objects and nature of my invention and aconstruction embodying the principles thereof what I claim as new anduseful and of my own invention and desire to secure by Letters Patentis,

1. In a locking mechanism for vehicles, a controller for the propellingpower thereof, a lock for said controller operating when in action tolock said controller in 0H position, electrical devices for controllingsaid lock, and switches controlled by the doors on the vehicle, saidswitches being arranged in parallel and associated in the circuit ofsaid electrical devices for independently operating the same.

2. In a locking mechanism for vehicles, a controller for the propellingpower of the vehicle, a lock therefor, electrical devices for operatinga lock to maintain the controller in its off position, a plurality ofswitches, each switch associated with a door on the vehicle, saidswitches being connected up in parallel relation to each other in thecircuit of said electrical devices.

3. In a locking mechanism for vehicles, a controller for the propellingpower of the vehicle, a lock therefor, electrical devices controllingsaid look, a circuit for said eleciiifor controlling said-lock, acircuit for said,

electrical devices, a series of door controlled switches arranged insaid circuit, said door switches arranged in parallel circuit relationwith respectto each other and operating Wlienany door is open to closesaid circuit to apply the lock.

5. In a locking mechanism forvvehicles, a controller for the motivepower thereof, a

locking member carried by said controller,

a cooperatinglock to engage said locking vmember to lock the controllerin its off positlon, a magnet for controlling said lock, a

- circuit for said magnet, and door controlledswitches arranged inparallel for controlling the circuit of said magnet.

6. Ina system of locking mechanism for vehicles, arcontroller, a lockoperating to retain the controller in its off position, an electricaldevicetocontrol said lock,v and means controlled by all the doors of thesystem for controlling the circuit of said electrical device andoperating when any door is open to complete said circuit to apply saidlock.

7 In a system of lock control mechanism for vehicles, a controller forthe propelling power: ofthe vehicle, a locking device for locking saidcontroller, means for operating said locking device, and a plurality'ofdoor operated switches arranged'in parallel for rendering effective saidlock operating means whenever any one of said switches is closed by itsdoor being open.

8; In a door controlled locking mechanism for vehlcles, a plurality ofcontrol switches arranged in parallel, a controller, means for lockingsaid controller in oif position, and

means-for rendering effective said locking mechanism through the agencyof any one of said switches being closed. 7

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand on this 10th day ofJune A. D.,

Banner KELLER.

